Why I love exercise

The result is directly proportional to the effort. Not time, not money. But effort. What you do is what you get. If you bend your knees very little, it results in very little development of muscle around the knee. If you bend or rotate your shoulders very little, you get very little muscle around the shoulders.

Systematically squatting, pushing, pulling or rotating yields stronger hips, knees, shoulders and elbows. The payoff is obvious, the returns proportionate to effort. And yet few choose to make the investment.

The body does not lie

It has no agenda. It has no philosophy. It reflects your lifestyle choices. You can pin the constraints in making those choices on genetics, ancestors, society or circumstance. But choices they were. Inactivity is a choice. Not prioritising an active lifestyle is a choice. How much time and energy you dedicate to exercise is a choice you make.

Do and you shall receive

Every activity does something different for your body. Some produce more useful, enduring and lasting adaptations than others. But it’s safe to say there are objectively more efficient and effective ways to spend your time and money when it comes to activity.

By objective I mean by the measure of quality of life, consistency of outcomes and sustainability. Squatting and its variants will make your legs stronger and your knees more robust than running, cycling, swimming or playing any sport will. Even cyclists have to squat to get their legs strong enough for cycling.

Risk-reward ratio

An activity pays off by improving your odds of better health, robust joints, general well-being and strong muscles. The medical treatment you didn’t have to seek. The flus and sprains you bounced back from faster than your less active peers. What risks did you take to get there? Was it worth it?

Any activity carries a degree of risk. But the smart choices have straightforward outcomes that make it worthwhile.

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